Part Ten
Xena smiled at her friends as they gazed down at their babies. Gabrielle looked
up and returned the smile tiredly. "Oh, Xena! They're so beautiful. I think that
they're going to be two of the smartest children in the world!"
Eve moved away from her mother's grasp and looked at the tiny babies curiously.
"Dollies!" she said finally.
Joxer stood up and walked over to Eve with Irene in his arms. He knelt down next
to the toddler and smiled brightly. "Hey Evie, say hi to Irene," he said softly.
Eve looked at the baby cradled in Joxer's arms. "Hi 'Rene," she giggled.
Xena chuckled dryly. "What do you think of Irene, Eve?"
"Dolly."
Gabrielle, looking down at Darien, smiled. "Yeah. I guess that they kind of look
like dolls, huh?"
Xena chuckled again. "So, Joxer. Are you ready for changing stinky diapers,
midnight feedings, and no sleep for the next few months?" she asked.
Joxer looked down at himself and then looked up with a goofy grin at his smiling
friend. "I'm ready for changing diapers and the lack of sleep, having helped you
out with Evie before, but as for the feeding, I'm sorry, but I don't exactly
come equipped with the correct body parts," he finished with a wink that Xena
returned. "Is Ricky all right?" he asked with a note of concern in his voice.
"Hmm. Then it's a good thing that I picked a wet nurse for you, Gabrielle. This
is Suki. She will be able to help with feeding your babies," an authoritative
voice interrupted before Xena could answer Joxer's question. Everyone turned
around to see Cyane enter the hut with another Amazon.
Gabrielle and Joxer gave Xena a look. Xena sensed that neither of them was crazy
about the idea of a wet nurse. "Uh... Look Cyane, I'm sure that Gabrielle and
Joxer appreciate the offer, but this is something they want to do on their own."
A blonde eyebrow rose. "I see. So Gabrielle, does Xena speak for you?" the
Amazon Queen asked as she faced the Regent.
Joxer's dark eyes flashed with anger. "Yes. Xena speaks for us, not just
Gabrielle! These are our children and we can take care of them!" he snapped
before Gabrielle could answer Cyane's question.
Gabrielle reached out and touched Joxer's arm. "It's okay, Joxer," she said
soothingly. Joxer gazed at Gabrielle, calming down as she smiled softly at him.
Gabrielle then turned in the Amazon Queen's direction. "Cyane, I know that you
were only thinking of my welfare and I thank you for it, but I think I can do
this myself." She smiled at Suki in reassurance.
Cyane nodded. "Very well, Gabrielle. But if you change your mind, Suki will be
waiting." Suki bowed as she left the hut, Cyane following shortly afterward.
Gabrielle looked at Xena, frowning slightly. "Did I do the right thing, Xena, or
should I've accepted the help?"
Xena sat down on the floor next to her two friends, crossing her legs. Eve sat
next to her mother, watching the three adults with wide blue eyes. She put her
thumb in her mouth and Xena gently extracted it with an indulgent sigh. "Well,
you do have a bit of a problem with trying to feed two babies at once," Xena
pointed out sensibly.
Joxer's shoulders sagged forward a bit as he wondered if he let his anger get
the best of him and that he should've kept his mouth shut. Irene made a soft
noise then and Joxer gazed down at his daughter, sighing softly. He gently
reached out and touched her cheek with a sad expression on his face.
"Joxer, please don't worry. I think that Xena's got an idea," Gabrielle said,
hiding a yawn behind her hand. "Don't you?"
Xena nodded, gazing at Joxer with a little smile on her face. "Uh huh. And I
think that you'll definitely appreciate this, Gabrielle..." She began explaining
to the couple how to extract extra milk from the breasts so that both children
could be fed at once. They listened to her explanation eagerly, both of them
interrupting as questions came to their minds.
"After you put the cloth over your breast, you gently massage it down. Don't
squeeze or you'll stop the milk from coming out. She's not a goat, for crying
out loud!" Xena paused for a moment, stroking her chin in thought. "Hmm... I
think that we can fashion a bottle for you to use to feed the other twin while
one's nursing. In fact, Joxer, you might be able to help Gabrielle out at first
until she can manage on her own. If you want, I can demonstrate..." Xena said,
smiling wickedly as Joxer's face turned beet-red.
Gabrielle chuckled at Joxer's obvious discomfort. "Xena, stop teasing him! Oh,
it hurts to laugh..."
"Hey! I was being serious..."
They suddenly heard a soft gasp from the hut's entrance. The group turned around
to see Jace, Arose, and Ricky standing in the doorway. Ricky gazed at the group
on the floor with wide eyes, his face deathly pale and his mouth slightly open.
"Why hello, you three," Xena said, her eyebrow rising.
"I think we have bad timing," Arose said apologetically, linking her arm in
Ricky's to support him. Jace did the same as the young man's knees trembled.
"Impeccably bad timing," Xena agreed, trying not to smile. "Ricky, are you all
right? Didn't your mother ever talk to you about babies?"
Ricky nodded slowly, taking several breaths before responding to Xena's query.
"I'm okay... Yeah, she did, but this is a little too much information!" he
muttered.
Jace smiled a little at Ricky's answer. "C'mon. Why don't we take another walk
around the camp and get some fresh air?" he suggested. "We'll see you later," he
said to the group inside the hut. "I want some quality time with the new members
of the family!" he exclaimed with a grin as the trio turned around and left the
entrance.
"Poor guy," Joxer said sympathetically, watching them leave.
"Aw, don't worry. He'll be fine," Xena reassured Joxer. "Now, like I was saying
before..." By the time Xena finished explaining everything, both of the new
parents' heads felt like they were spinning. "...And I'll give you some aloe
lotion, Gabrielle. That will help soothe you," she said crisply. "So, any
questions?"
Joxer blinked several times, still taking everything in. "I don't think so..."
he stammered finally.
"Good. Because you're about to get your first tryout," Xena commented as she
rose to her feet.
"Huh?"
Xena pointed down at Darien. Joxer's eyes followed the direction that she
pointed in and he nodded, seeing what she meant. "If he's hungry, I'm sure that
Irene's hungry too. Be right back." She left the hut and came back a few minutes
later, carrying a small, long pottery open-neck bottle and some clean cloths.
"This should get you started..."
Gabrielle looked up at her husband curiously as she made ready to make her first
attempt at feeding her children. "Joxer, how on Gaia's green Earth did you
mother handle feeding three of you at once? Did she have a wet nurse?"
Joxer shrugged his shoulders. "I have no clue, but she managed somehow!"
Xena knelt down beside Joxer. "I'm sure she did very well, Joxer. All right,
Gabrielle. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I'm ready. Will this hurt?" Gabrielle asked as she shifted position.
Xena smiled at her friend. "I don't think it will - at least not compared to
what you just went through." She turned to face Joxer. "Are you ready?"
Joxer gently placed Irene in Xena's arms and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Okay. Now put the cloth over Gabrielle and massage down gently with one hand
while putting the bottle in front of her with your other hand," Xena directed.
"All right," Joxer agreed, looking a little nervous. He placed the cloth over
Gabrielle's breast and quickly withdrew from her when she suddenly gasped,
throwing his hands up in the air. "Did I hurt you, Gabrielle?" he asked
anxiously.
"No, but your hands are ice-cold!"
Joxer blushed as Xena hid a smile behind her hand. "Oh. Sorry about that,
honey."
Gabrielle smiled. "It's all right, Joxer."
Joxer nodded and reached out carefully with one hand while he positioned the
bottle in front of Gabrielle with the other hand.
"Take your time, Joxer. It's not a chariot race," Xena said softly.
"Uh huh," Joxer grunted as he concentrated on his task. Eventually, Joxer was
able to extract an amount of milk that Xena deemed was enough to start with and
he looked up at her questioningly. "Now what?"
"Well, we don't have anything to put over the bottle's top to use as a nipple at
the moment, so you'll have to dip the cloth into the milk so the baby can suck
the milk off that. It will take a little bit longer to feed, but it works well
enough," Xena replied. She gazed at Darien, who had already found lunch. "Looks
like you get to feed Irene by default, O Daddy," she said with a wink as she
gave Irene back to Joxer.
"I can see that," Joxer said with a grin. He studied the position that Gabrielle
was sitting in and with a bit of moving around, he was able to get himself and
Irene in more or less the same position. He then dipped the cloth into the milk
and held it up to Irene's mouth. Irene opened her mouth and immediately began
sucking. Joxer repeated the process several times, smiling softly as he watched
her eat.
Xena chuckled as she watched her two friends feed their children. "I can
definitely say that they've both inherited your appetite, Gabrielle," she
remarked dryly.
"Ha, ha, ha! Very funny, Xena!" Gabrielle replied, making a face at her before
turning her attention back to Darien, who was taking a momentary break.
Xena shrugged her shoulders and tried not to laugh. She then watched as Joxer
put the bottle down on the hut's floor and carefully placed Irene against his
shoulder. He rubbed her back gently and a few moments' later, Irene let out an
extremely loud burp. "Wow, Joxer. I'm amazed!"
Joxer frowned, puzzled by Xena's words. "What? I've fed Eve lots of times since
she started eating solid food and I remember you burping her too," he pointed
out.
Xena smiled, shaking her head a little as she thought about how much Joxer had
changed since his adventures in the Amazon Underworld to bring Gabrielle back.
"Oh, it's nothing really. Just a quick tip - make sure you put a towel over your
shoulder in case one of them decides to spit up instead."
"Oh yeah! I forgot," Joxer nodded and gave Gabrielle a towel so she could burp
Darien.
Xena rose to her feet. "I'm kind of tired, so I'm going to take a breather. I'll
see you two later, okay?"
"Okay. Bye Xena, and thanks," Gabrielle replied warmly.
Xena waved as she and Eve departed the hut. Eve looked up at her mother.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Evie?"
"Did I really make that funny sound when I was a dolly?"
Xena fought the smile that threatened to come to her lips, knowing that her
daughter's question was serious. "Yes, sweetie, but it wasn't that loud."
Eve smiled at her mother's answer as they walked on. Xena stopped when she saw
Ricky sitting by himself on a log with a hangdog expression on his face. "Hey,
where's the gang?" she asked curiously.
Ricky looked up, frowning unhappily. "Oh. Hi Xena," he said gloomily.
Xena's eyebrow shot up. "I've seen men who are about to die happier than you
look. What's the matter?" she asked as she sat down next to him while Eve sat on
the ground and began drawing circles in the soft dirt.
Ricky stood up and paced back and forth. "Oh, look at me! I fainted at the birth
of Joxer and Gabrielle's baby and I got queasy when I heard you guys talking
about feeding. Gods, what kind of a father will I make?"
Xena held up her hands, motioning for the agitated young man to stop his pacing.
"Hey! Whoa! Hold on a second. Let's not jump aboard that ship until it reaches
dock, huh? First of all, you're not ready to be a father. Ricky, you're only
seventeen. You've got plenty of time. Don't rush it. Now, why are you by
yourself? What happened to Jace and Arose? Did you and Arose have a fight?"
Ricky's shoulders slumped as he sighed loudly. "No. I just wanted to be alone."
Xena frowned as she felt herself become irritated at Ricky's indulgent
self-pity. She shook her head and sighed instead, knowing that sharp words would
only pull the young man further down into a funk. "Ricky, it's going to be
fine," she said in an effort to reassure him.
"How? Arose will never want me knowing I can't face a baby being born."
"Oh, for crying out loud! Whoever said I wanted a baby right now? Ricky, I love
you, but honestly, you can be so dense sometimes!" Ricky turned around to see
Arose standing a short distance away from the three with her arms folded over
her chest and scowling at him ferociously.
Eve tugged on Xena's skirt to get her mother's attention. "Mommy, what's a
dense?"
"Uh... Mommy will explain what it means when you're older, okay?"
Eve gave Xena her best imitation of her "Mommy is not happy" look in response
and Xena blinked in surprise.
Ricky stared at Arose, his dark eyes wide. "How long have you been standing
there?"
Arose's face softened as she walked over to him. "Long enough to hear everything
you said and Xena's advice. Ricky, I don't want to have children right now. I'm
certainly not ready yet and neither are you. We're not even married yet." She
reached up and kissed him. "Come on. I think Xena deserves to have a little
rest." Ricky nodded and entwined her hand in his as they walked off, speaking in
low voices.
Xena watched them go and shook her head. "I'm glad I wasn't like that when I was
their age." No. I decided to be a warlord instead... she thought to herself
grimly. She shook her head again and smiled down at her daughter. "Well Eve, I
think that Arose is right. We could use a little rest. So, are you up for a
nap?"
Eve frowned as she answered, "No, I'm not sleepy."
"Well, you might not be sleepy, but your Mommy is. C'mon!" With those words,
Xena easily picked Eve up and began walking towards their hut. Before she had
even walked halfway towards it, the toddler was sound asleep in Xena's arms.
Xena smiled and kissed her daughter on the cheek as she entered their hut and
shut the flap behind her.
It was almost six months since Gabrielle had given birth to their children when
the day for the twins to become members of the Amazon Nation had finally
arrived. Joxer knelt down next to the twins' cradle baskets as Gabrielle
anxiously searched for the new robe she was to wear for the ceremony. "Augh!
Where is that robe? Joxer, have you seen it?"
Joxer looked up and tried not to laugh as Gabrielle tossed various articles of
clothing from a chest onto the floor. "Which one? You've got so many of them!"
"The yellow one... No, the one with the white... Oh, never mind! Here it is.
Joxer, will you watch the twins while I put this thing on?"
Joxer looked down at the twins, who were sitting up in their cradles and gazing
back at their father intently. Darien suddenly made a noise that sounded
suspiciously like a giggle to his father's ears. Joxer smiled widely as Darien
then waved his arms in the air, his green eyes twinkling as he returned a gummy
smile and burbled. "Mommy doesn't have her head on straight today, does she? No,
she doesn't!" Joxer exclaimed softly as he leaned down and kissed each child on
the forehead.
"Joxer, I heard that!" Gabrielle growled as she shook the robe out in an effort
to try to take the wrinkles from it.
Joxer started to laugh then stopped when Gabrielle turned around, resplendent in
her new ceremonial outfit. "Gabrielle... Wow... You look stunning," he said
huskily as he rose to his feet and gazed at her.
Gabrielle turned her head over her shoulder to look at her back. "I don't know.
Are you sure that it looks all right?" she asked with a worried note in her
voice as she turned back around to face her husband with a slight frown.
Joxer shook his head, smiling widely as he walked over to his wife. He took her
in his arms in a warm embrace. "Gabrielle, like I said, you look absolutely
stunning," he murmured in her ear before he kissed her.
Gabrielle returned the kiss, smiling up at him. "You look pretty stunning
yourself, O Mighty One," she told Joxer, her eyes greedily taking in his new
outfit of soft black leather breeches, matching pull-on boots, white lace-collar
shirt and a multi-colored sash tied around his waist.
Joxer rolled his eyes, blushing furiously. His expressive eyebrows rose as he
gazed down at her curiously. "So, are you ready? We're ready."
Darien and Irene gurgled at their father's words and Gabrielle laughed. "I guess
I am..."
"Good, because there's two very eager grandparents waiting outside that want to
spoil their grandchildren silly after this ceremony is over!" a laughing voice
broke in before Gabrielle could finish her sentence.
"Lila! You made it!" Gabrielle turned around to greet her younger sister as she
came inside their hut, smiling. She embraced Lila eagerly. "How on Earth did
Xena manage to persuade Mom and Dad to come just before harvest time?" she asked
after letting Lila go.
Lila laughed as Joxer walked over and hugged her. "Actually, Xena only had to
threaten Dad a little," she teased. She laughed as Gabrielle made a face. "Oh,
don't worry! All Xena had to say was that you and Joxer wanted us to come for
the ceremony and that was it. We won't be staying too long though - just a
couple of days," she explained.
"It doesn't matter how long you're staying. I'm just glad that you came!"
Gabrielle grinned.
"So am I! I want to get a chance to spoil my niece and nephew too!" Lila
replied. She gazed at the twins, who looked up at her curiously. "They are
beautiful, you two."
"Thanks," Joxer said quietly as he put his hand on Gabrielle's shoulder.
Gabrielle put her hand over his as they looked at their children.
Lila knelt down and gazed at the twins babbling happily to each other for a long
time with a thoughtful expression on her face before she looked up and smiled.
"Well, I better go. See you outside," she said as she rose to full height.
"Okay," Gabrielle replied and watched as Lila left the hut with a little frown
on her face. "Well, I guess we wait until we're summoned, then."
Gabrielle's reaction to Lila had not been lost on Joxer and he put his arm
around his wife's waist. "I guess so. Gabrielle..." he started to say when she
gently put a finger over his lips to silence him.
"I just want her to be happy, Joxer. She deserves it."
"I know you do - and yes, she does. But good things - or people - come to those
who wait," Joxer said softly as he caressed Gabrielle's cheek. "I should know,"
he finished with a soft smile. Gabrielle didn't say a word but hugged him
fiercely in response.
A few minutes later, the sound of a ram's horn echoed through the village. "I
guess that's our cue," Gabrielle said as she took Darien from his basket and
gave him to Joxer before taking Irene into her arms.
Joxer nodded and held the door flap open for Gabrielle to emerge from the hut
first. As the young family came from their hut and walked towards the village
center, drums, tambourines, shakers, and bells began to play. Darien fussed a
little at the loud noise but Irene seemed to enjoy it. She softly cooed and
gurgled in Gabrielle's arms. Her dark eyes, just like her father's, sparkled in
the midday sun.
As they entered the village center, they saw their family and friends sitting on
benches near the front of the altar where Cyane, who was dressed in elaborate
ceremonial garb, awaited them. To their surprise, Aphrodite was sitting next to
Xena and Eve. She waved to them and gave them a gorgeous grin as they walked up
to the altar.
The music finally stopped when they arrived in front of Cyane, who pounded her
staff on the ground twice as she stepped away from the altar where a deer had
been sacrificed to honor Artemis. "We are gathered here to welcome Irene and
Darien, the twin children of Queen Gabrielle and her consort Joxer, into the
Amazon Nation as our sister and brother. Let it be known that Darien will be the
first male ever welcomed into the Amazon Nation as a full member, not as an
honorary one."
The drums began to beat slowly as Cyane continued speaking in a loud and clear
voice. "We pray that our sacrifice to our Goddess Artemis is acceptable as we
welcome these children into the Nation. May they grow up to be healthy and
strong..."
A blue-white light flashed nearby and everyone with the exception of Aphrodite
gasped in surprise when Artemis appeared before the small group gathered at the
altar. "Queen Gabrielle and Joxer, come forward," the Goddess commanded in a
soft voice.
The young parents exchanged worried glances but cautiously approached her
nonetheless. The Goddess' lips curled into the slightest hint of a smile as she
gazed at the two children, who looked up at her curiously, but they were
unafraid of her. "Good," she murmured approvingly. "I am more than pleased to
welcome these children into Amazon society," she said, her blue-eyed gaze
sweeping over the audience calmly before she turned back to Gabrielle and Joxer.
"You have done well," she said. She reached out and touched each child on the
cheek with a finger.
Xena, watching from her vantage point, started to rise from her seat, alarmed at
the Goddess touching the children. Aphrodite gently pulled her down. "Chill out!
She's not doing anything to them," the Love Goddess whispered. "Like relax,
already! If something that wasn't cool was happening up there, you'd be hearing
from Blondie and Studmuffin by now!"
Xena watched the Goddess carefully and saw that Aphrodite spoke the truth. She
willed herself to calm down, but watched with a raised eyebrow, ready to spring
into action just in case.
Artemis stepped back from the couple a minute later, watching the children
giggling and babbling happily to each other, oblivious to everything else
happening around them. "Fare well for now," she said quietly. Joxer and
Gabrielle bowed their heads a little in respect as the Goddess disappeared in
the same manner that she had appeared in.
It took Cyane a minute or two to recover herself, but she did and the remainder
of the ceremony was completed without further incident. "...and with these
words, my sisters, we welcome the newest members of our tribe and the Mighty
Amazon Nation. I give you Irene and Darien!" she shouted hoarsely.
A single voice let out a loud howl of approval. Several others took up the
woman's cry a moment later, and that was followed by the drums, tambourines, and
shakers. "LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!" Cyane cried out. Some of the women started
dancing and a bonfire was lit.
Herodotus, Hecuba, Lila, Xena, Eve, Jace, Arose and Ricky rose to their feet and
met Gabrielle and Joxer, who were walking over to them. "Mom! Dad! I'm so glad
that you came!" Gabrielle said happily.
"As if we'd miss such an important event in our grandchildren's lives!" Hecuba
exclaimed with a smile as she hugged her eldest daughter and son-in-law. "I have
a feeling that this celebration is going to be even wilder than your wedding
celebration," she laughed.
"You're probably right!" Joxer agreed as he placed Darien in Hecuba's arms.
Hecuba's prediction was correct. The dancing and singing was wilder than ever.
Jace had a great time for himself as he taught some of the Amazons "hip and new"
dance steps. "Come on, ladies! Shake that thing!" he exclaimed as he moved back
and forth between the rows of Amazons attempting his dance moves as the sun set
into the hills. He pulled a protesting Xena to her feet and had her attempting
dance steps as well. Eve ran over to her mother, giggling. Xena picked her
daughter up and swung her around, Eve screaming with excited laughter.
Shaking her head and laughing as she and Joxer watched Jace giving dancing
lessons, Gabrielle held Darien while Joxer held Irene. The Amazon Queen gazed
down at her son then at her daughter. "Well, I guess these two have had enough
excitement for today."
"Yeah and I agree with them," Joxer said, trying unsuccessfully to hide a yawn.
Gabrielle smiled as she watched Joxer blink a few times. "Me too," she said. "Be
right back." Gabrielle walked over to Cyane and whispered into her ear.
Cyane nodded to Eris, who blew a ram's horn to get everyone attention. "Amazons,
Queen Gabrielle and her family are retiring for the night. The celebration may
continue, but she has asked that the music become quieter so her children can
sleep."
Hecuba came up to her. "May I help put them to bed? It's been so long since I
put a baby to bed."
"Sure." Gabrielle smiled as she gave Darien to her mother. She then turned to
look at her father curiously. "Dad, why don't you put Irene to bed?"
Her father came and Joxer gave her Irene. "Now, you two can finally get a good
night's sleep. We will watch these babies tonight."
"Mom, Dad! We can't ask you to do that!" Gabrielle protested.
"Gabrielle, think of this as a present for you and Joxer from us," Hecuba said
softly.
Gabrielle looked at Joxer for a moment to see if he thought it was all right.
Joxer nodded and she turned around to face her parents with a smile. "Thank you
so much! There's mashed fruit and..."
Hecuba put up a hand to stop her daughter from going any further. "Now, don't
you fret, Gabrielle. Your father and I will be just fine."
"I know you will, Mom. Thank you so much again," Gabrielle said as she kissed
her parents goodnight and took Joxer's hand in hers. "Come on. Let's go to bed,"
she said, tugging him forward. Joxer laughed as Gabrielle eagerly pulled him
towards their hut. He held the flap open to allow her to enter first, then he
entered the hut and carefully closed the flap door shut.
The next morning, Gabrielle got up, and seeing that Joxer had already was up and
about, she got dressed and went outside to get a light breakfast. After getting
some fruit to eat, she went for a walk to find Lila and saw that Xena was
pushing Eve on the swing. "Hey! Good morning, Xena."
"Wow, you're actually up," Xena teased lightly.
Gabrielle made a little face at Xena then laughed. "Yeah, I know. I had a great
sleep last night..."
"Just sleep, Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and blushed before continuing with, "I woke up to a
beautiful morning and I want to spend some time with Lila before they leave."
"That's a good idea. When are your parents and Lila leaving?"
"I originally thought that they weren't leaving until tomorrow, but Dad said he
had to get back for the harvest. The crops are coming in sooner than he
anticipated, so they're leaving this afternoon instead. So, I'm going to spend
the morning with Lila. See you later, Xena." Gabrielle waved as she walked away
to find her sister.
"See you. Have a good time," Xena said as she watched her friend leave then
continued to push Eve, who was screaming with laughter as she went higher and
higher in the air. As she pushed her daughter, Xena allowed her thoughts to
wander and she sighed to herself as she reluctantly made a decision that she had
been putting off for some time.
Xena suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle, indicating that
someone was nearby, but it didn't feel like a God-like presence to her. "Who's
there?" she called out sharply as she stopped the swing. Her hand hovered
lightly over her chakram for a moment.
"It's me, Xena." She lowered her hand and warily gazed at Herodotus as he walked
into the clearing. He folded his arms over his chest and gazed at Xena for a
long time before he said quietly, "I'm surprised to see that you're still here."
Xena's eyebrow rose, but she said calmly, "I'm here for Gabrielle and Joxer."
"From where I stand, Gabrielle is happy. She has a good man who loves her very
much and two wonderful children. I don't think she needs you any more, so why
don't you just go and let those young people live in peace?"
Xena silently counted to ten as she glared at the older man. "I don't have time
for you," she muttered finally. "Excuse me." She took Eve from the swing and
walked away, Herodotus staring at the two of them as they left.
As they walked down the path, Eve looked up at Xena curiously. "Mommy?"
"Yes, Evie?"
"Why did he say that?"
"I guess he feels that he still has to protect Gabrielle, honey."
"But she's all grownded up!"
"Eve, it's something that a parent does Ð even when their children are long
grown."
Eve's brow furrowed into a puzzled frown. "Don't understand, Mommy."
Xena picked Eve up and kissed her on the forehead. "You will one day, sweetie."
Gabrielle giggled as she splashed her sister. Lila returned the attack with mock
ferocity. The two sisters were laughing and having a good time, but the morning
went all too fast and it was time for Gabrielle's family to leave. Gabrielle
hugged Lila tightly. "Now you come and visit us, Gabrielle. Don't be a
stranger!" Lila scolded her older sister with laughter in her voice.
"We will, Lila. I promise."
Lila nodded as she pulled away. "I'm going to say goodbye to my niece and
nephew."
Gabrielle smiled as Lila entered the hut, where Hecuba was saying goodbye to her
grandchildren while Eris watched over the twins. She then turned to her father,
who was gazing at her steadily. "Be careful going home, Dad."
Herodotus carefully took his oldest daughter's hands in his much larger ones.
"Gabrielle, please return with us. Theodorus said that he'll sell you and Joxer
some good farming land."
"Dad, I can't. My place is not only with Joxer and the twins, but it's with Xena
and Eve too. You know that," she said softly. "I love you and I'll miss you."
She gave Herodotus a kiss on the cheek and he nodded sadly.
Joxer shook Herodotus' hand. "Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for inviting us," the older man replied. "Take care of them."
"I will."
Herodotus smiled briefly then went over to his wagon and called to his wife and
daughter. "Come on, you two! We've got to go!"
They both came out from the hut and Hecuba gave Gabrielle a hug and kiss.
"Sweetheart, if you ever need anything, you know where we are."
"I know. Thanks, Mom."
Hecuba smiled and nodded before giving Joxer a gentle hug, which he returned,
before joining her husband and youngest daughter on their wagon. "Goodbye!"
"Bye!" Joxer and Gabrielle called out, waving to them as Herodotus got the
horses to move forward. "Have a safe trip home!"
"Thanks! Visit soon!" Lila called back.
Joxer placed his arm around his wife's waist as they continued waving to Lila
and Hecuba. "Goodbyes are always hard," he said with a sigh.
"Yeah. They are," Gabrielle said and nodded in agreement before leaning her head
against her husband's chest as they watched the wagon head down the trail until
it was out of sight. She then heard the sound of another set of hoof beats and
they both turned around to see Xena leading Argo by the reins and Eve perched
securely on the mare's back.
"Xena, where are you going?" Gabrielle asked curiously. "Are you going fishing
for a couple of days?"
Xena shook her head. "Not exactly..." The taller woman sighed before continuing
with a gentle, "It's time for me and Eve to move on from here, Gabrielle." Xena
then shrugged her shoulders and tried to smile. She failed miserably.
"What? Without us?" Gabrielle's eyes shone with the faintest hint of anger and
Joxer frowned at Xena's words. "But... Why?"
Xena walked over to Gabrielle and put her hands on Gabrielle's shoulders. "We
both knew this day would come," she said softly.
"No... That's not true!" Gabrielle exclaimed, glaring up at Xena with fire in
her eyes and putting her hands on her hips. Her face settled into a stubborn
expression that Xena and Joxer knew all too well. "What you're saying is crazy,
Xena! We can all travel together. We were able to do it when you had Eve... Why
should it be any different now?"
Xena stared down at her and shook her head. "Gabrielle, it is different now.
It's not fair to you, Joxer, and now the twins Ð to put all of you in constant
danger. I know that. You know that, and Joxer certainly knows it too. Besides,
you know that I'm not the type to stay in one place and if I stay here any
longer, there won't be any trees left!" she joked half-heartedly.
Gabrielle reached up squeezed the bridge of her nose with her left thumb and
index finger to try and keep the tears that were beginning to sting her eyes
from falling. She knew then that she had lost the argument. "You were just going
to leave here without saying goodbye to us?" she asked finally. She reached out
and pulled Xena into a hug.
Xena returned the hug and murmured, "I hate goodbyes, Gabrielle. You know that."
Gabrielle sniffed and nodded. "I know... Please don't do this."
"I have to. It's the right thing to do," Xena said gently. "It's not like I'm
going away forever, you know!"
"I know, but it seems so final," Gabrielle sighed. "Be careful!" she exclaimed
after a minute's pause.
Xena chuckled at that. "I'll do my best," she promised and looked up at Joxer as
Gabrielle reluctantly released her and walked away to give Eve a hug and kiss,
trying not to cry. An eyebrow rose as Joxer returned the gaze. "You take care of
that family of yours, Joxer," she said gruffly.
Joxer walked over to his long-time friend and gave her one of his best hugs. "I
will, Xena. Thank you so much for all that you've done for us," he whispered in
her ear. "I'll miss you." Xena didn't say anything but closed her eyes and
squeezed Joxer a little harder in response. Joxer broke the hug reluctantly,
turned around and wiped furtively at his eyes before smiling widely as he walked
over to Eve and took her down from the saddle.
Xena watched as Joxer squatted down before Eve and talked to her quietly before
giving her a kiss and hug. "Are you sure about this?" Gabrielle's soft voice
interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes I am, Gabrielle," Xena replied.
Gabrielle sighed. "All right. I couldn't stop you from leaving anyway. If you
didn't leave now, you'd leave during the middle of the night." Joxer and Eve
walked over then and Joxer put his arm around Gabrielle's waist while Eve walked
over to her mother and gazed up at them in silent curiosity.
The three adults gazed at each other for a long time before Xena nodded, walked
over to Argo and mounted up. Joxer followed her and lifted Eve up for Xena. She
nodded in thanks and rode off after making sure that Eve was securely in the
saddle. Gabrielle placed her head on Joxer's chest and cried silently while
Joxer watched them ride away.
Jace, Arose, and Ricky, who had been watching Xena and Eve say their goodbyes
from a respectful distance away slowly came forward, Jace clearing his throat to
get their attention. Joxer looked at them curiously. Jace cleared his throat
again. "It's time that we moved on too, Joxer."
"I figured as much," Joxer replied softly. "It's been good having you here all
this time."
Jace nodded. "It's been good for us too." Arose and Ricky nodded in agreement.
Joxer reached out and hugged Jace for a minute, whispering something in Jace's
ear that made his older brother laugh even as a tear ran down his face. While
Jace recovered his composure, Joxer walked over to Arose and kissed her on the
cheek gently. She smiled. "You behave yourself, little brother," she said with a
wink.
Joxer returned the smile as she hugged him. "I'll try and don't call me little
brother."
"Take care and see you soon," Ricky said as he shook Joxer's hand warmly. He
turned around to see that Jace and Arose were waiting for him at the wagon. He
got inside it and then they left, calling out and waving goodbye. Joxer and
Gabrielle called back and waved to them until they were out of sight.
Gabrielle sighed and turned to look at Joxer. "Honey, I'm going to check on the
twins, okay? Maybe have a little nap too," she said quietly.
Joxer smiled gently and reached out to wipe a stray tear off Gabrielle's cheek.
"Okay. I've got a couple of things I have to do anyway," he said. "I'll see you
later."
"All right," Gabrielle replied tonelessly, putting her hand over his for a
moment. She then went back inside the hut.
Joxer watched her enter the hut and sighed heavily. He then looked in the
direction that Xena and Eve had left in and folded his arms over his chest,
frowning. His lips set in a tight line and he walked away with a determined look
on his face.
It was a couple of hours later when Gabrielle finally woke up from a troubled
sleep. She got up to check on the children to see if they needed to be fed or
changed and was surprised to find them gone from their cradle baskets. She ran
outside the hut, yelling at the top of her lungs. "JOXER! JOX...!" She stopped
when she saw Joxer standing a short distance away from her with Sugar all
saddled up with saddlebags bulging with supplies and his lute carefully stowed.
Irene was nestled securely in his right arm. Darien was in a backpack like what
Xena used to use when Eve was a baby tied securely on his back.
Joxer grinned at her happily. "Well, are you ready to go?" he asked.
Gabrielle ran her fingers through her mussed-up hair. "Go? Go where?" she asked,
completely confused.
"To find Xena and Eve, of course!" Joxer replied. His face turned serious as he
said to her, "Gabrielle, we're not a complete family without them."
Tears ran down Gabrielle's face as she ran over to Joxer. "Oh, Joxer! I love you
so much!" She wrapped her arms around Joxer's neck, being mindful of Irene, and
kissed him.
Joxer returned the kiss as he wrapped his free arm around Gabrielle's waist. He
smiled when she broke the kiss. He helped Gabrielle put another baby backpack on
her back, and then he gently placed Irene inside it. He helped her mount up on
Sugar's back. "So, are you ready?" he asked when she was settled.
Gabrielle nodded. "But Joxer, shouldn't we say goodbye first?"
Joxer smiled. "They're waiting," he replied.
Gabrielle nodded as Joxer took Sugar's reins and led the mare over to the
Amazons, who had gathered in the village center.
Cyane stepped forward. "Queen Gabrielle. Joxer." The Amazon's lips curved into a
tiny smile as she gazed at the lanky warrior wannabe, who blinked in surprise
and then returned the smile. "It has been an honor having you here in our
village. Safe journey to you and your family."
"Thank you, Cyane," Gabrielle replied solemnly. "And thank you all for having us
here."
Cyane inclined her head once and stepped back as the others gathered around the
young family and said their goodbyes. Finally, laughing in protest, Gabrielle
exclaimed, "Thanks everybody, but we have to go before we lose the daylight!"
"She's right. My sisters, we have much to do," Cyane nodded in agreement.
"Farewell for now."
"Goodbye, Cyane Ð and thank you again." With those words, Joxer began leading
Sugar from the village, the Amazons calling out their farewells.
Joxer happily sang a new verse of his song as he led Sugar along the path.
Darien fussed a little while Irene cooed happily. "Well, at least someone loves
my song," he commented with a sigh.
"Wait until she hears it too many times," laughed Gabrielle.
Joxer rolled his eyes and was about to say something when Gabrielle stopped him
by raising her hand. "Listen!"
Joxer frowned, but kept quiet. "I don't hear anything," he said finally.
"I do. I heard Eve. Come on, Joxer! I think that Xena's close."
"Closer than you think," a familiar and husky voice replied.
Joxer turned Sugar in the voice's direction and they saw that Xena and Eve were
standing a short distance away from them. Xena gazed at them calmly with a
raised eyebrow as Eve ran over to Joxer, giggling. "Wait a second, Evie," Joxer
said as he helped Gabrielle get down from Sugar. He watched as Gabrielle hurried
over to Xena with a smile on his face.
"Gabrielle, why are you two here?" Xena asked quietly as Joxer took Eve's
outstretched hand and walked over to the two women.
"Because like Joxer said to me, our family isn't complete without you and Eve,"
Gabrielle explained.
Xena looked at Gabrielle first then at Joxer, who shrugged his shoulders and
scratched the back of his neck as he gave her a goofy smile. "You big doofus,"
she said with genuine affection in her voice. She then reached out and the three
adults shared a group hug. Eve joined in, enthusiastically throwing her arms
around Xena's legs, making everyone laugh.
"So, where to now?" Xena asked them when they broke the embrace.
"To see Jett so he can meet the twins," replied Joxer.
Gabrielle and Xena both gave him a look. "Joxer, if you think I'm taking our
babies to Maramis prison, you're sadly mistaken."
"But Gabrielle, Jett has the right to see them! It's not his fau... " Joxer
stopped his protests at the look they both gave him and his shoulders slumped
down. "Okay, so it is his fault, but he's my brother," he mumbled unhappily as
he lowered his head.
Gabrielle reached out and lifted Joxer's chin so that she could look into her
husband's sad brown eyes. "I know that you want him to see them and I wish it
was possible, but... Tell you what. If something can be worked out without us
going to the prison, then Jett can see them."
Joxer hugged Gabrielle. "Thanks, sweetheart. I'll find a way."
Gabrielle smiled as she returned the hug. "I know you will, honey. But in the
meantime, let's go before it's too dark to travel."
"I agree," Xena said with a nod.
With those words, the group moved off to their next adventure.
The End